The jumping position is a position used by equestrians when jumping over an obstacle, involving a combination of both a "forward seat" and "2 point" position. A rider in jumping position has their body centered over the horse's center of gravity and the saddle. Continuing a line upwards from the stirrup leathers, the head and shoulders fall in front of the line, as do the knees and the hips fall behind it. A correct jumping seat serves two purposes:
It gives the horse freedom to jump the obstacle, allowing it to keep the forelegs and hindlegs tight, thereby decreasing the chance that the horse rolls down or falls. It also encourages the horse to bascule over the fence, which improves jumping form and the ability to jump higher obstacles. It provides the rider with the support needed to stay out of the horse's way while still maintaining a secure seat so that the horse is less likely to fall on landing.
The influence of the horse on position The jumping position keeps the rider in a position over the horse's center of gravity. The horse, not the rider, is responsible for opening and closing the rider's angles (notably, the hip and knee). As the horse takes off, it raises its upper body off the ground and comes closer to the rider. This makes the rider's hip angle (between the thigh and chest) narrow. Over the fence, the rider keeps the angles closed. As the horse lands, it moves away from the rider's body, which allows the hip angle to open and the rider to become more perpendicular to the ground. Also, if the horse takes a jump wrong in some manner, due to rider error or other, the rider may be thrown around and may sometimes get "left behind". This is when the rider's center of balance is behind that of the horse. This can also throw the horse off balance and lead to other problems such as knocking down a rail.
Position of the leg
The lower leg is the anchor of rider's position and contributes to their security. Poor lower leg position makes a rider more likely to lose balance over fences and therefore increases the chance that they may fall. It also tends to decrease the ability of the rider to communicate clearly with his or her horse. The leg should hang down the horse's side, making even contact along its whole length (inner thigh, knee, and calf), and should not change position when the upper body moves. The rider's weight is dropped along the back of the leg and into the heel through a flexible ankle so that the heel is lower than the toes. The toes are generally turned out slightly, to a degree greater than in the flatwork-only English riding disciplines such as dressage or saddle seat. This places the back of the calf against the horse, instead of the whole inner calf, as in dressage which decreases the refinement in communication between horse and rider but anchors the rider and increases security. Toes should turn no more than 45 degrees out. The stirrups are shortened from the length used for flatwork and adjusted according to the height of the fence. Grand Prix jumpers and eventers on cross-country generally need to shorten the stirrups the most, to allow them to gallop and jump in motion with their horse. The short stirrup provides more leverage and flexibility, and therefore security, better balance and a more secure position should the horse stumble, get a poor distance, or peck on landing. More importantly, a shorter stirrup allows the rider to get off the horse's back between and over the fence, freeing up the back and allowing the horse to bascule. The stirrup leather should remain perpendicular to the ground. The stirrup iron is usually placed on the ball of the foot, allowing the rider to have a flexible, shock-absorbing ankle. The rider should keep even pressure across the foot, rather than pushing on the inside or outside of the stirrup iron, as this makes the lower leg stiff. The result of a shorter stirrup is that the ankle and knee angle decrease. Both angles are used as shock absorbers, opening and closing accordingly with the thrust of takeoff and landing. Stiffness in these angles makes it harder to stay with the horse's balance, which may result in the rider "jumping ahead" or being "left behind."
Variations in leg position
Leg position may vary slightly between disciplines. Combining a relatively short stirrup with a need for security, Eventers and steeplechase jockeys tend to have a slightly forward leg position, with the foot "home" in the iron. The forward leg position increases security, making it more difficult for the rider to become dislodged. This is important in both sports because riders jump solid fences at high speed, where the horse is more likely to stumble or fall if it hits the fence. Especially in the case of steeplechase jockey, a fall could be extremely dangerous, as the other horses in the race could trample him or her. The foot can be placed "home" (with the stirrup behind the ball of the foot, near the heel), for security purposes. This decreases the chance that the rider will lose a stirrup should a horse jump or land awkwardly. However, this is very dangerous in that should the rider fall, the foot may become caught in the iron and a rider could be dragged by the horse, resulting in serious injury or death.
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